Veterans of the Second World War Arctic Convoys and the RAF’s Bomber Command are to receive fresh recognition of their heroism, the Government announced yesterday.

Veterans of the Second World War Arctic Convoys and the RAF’s Bomber Command are to receive fresh recognition of their heroism, the Government announced yesterday.

Defence Minister Mark Francois announced production of a new Arctic Star medal for the convoy veterans and a clasp to go to former Bomber Command servicemen will start this week.

The move follows Prime Minister David Cameron’s announcement in December that he was accepting the recommendations of a review of military decorations by the former diplomat Sir John Holmes.

More than 3,000 Arctic Convoy seamen died in Operation Dervish, which saw supplies delivered to the Soviet ports of Murmansk and Archangel.

The mission to keep the supply lines open was described as the “worst journey in the world” by Winston Churchill.

Bomber Command’s role in the Second World War has long been the subject of controversy over the blitzing of German cities like Dresden and Hamburg, which estimates suggest suffered between 64,000 and 90,000 casualties between them.

But Bomber Command veteran Phil James, 88, from Port Talbot, said it was an “absolute disgrace” that he and his fellow RAF personnel have waited so long for recognition.

Mr James believes the bombing of cities like Dresden and Hamburg was necessary to undermine German morale and end the war.

A flight engineer on a Halifax III bomber that carried out surveillance work to set up an attack on the German battleship Tirpitz Mr James, said: “Bomber command was the only force fighting the Germans that could inflict damage on the Germans.

“It kept thousands and thousands of troops away from the front lines. It damaged their industry, particularly their oil industry. Towards the end of the war they didn’t have any fuel - or very little anyway.”

Mr James, who was awarded the MBE several years back for his work with the Royal Air Force Association (RAFA), flew 33 missions in the Halifax III.

The eight-man 192 Special Duty Squadron crew based in Foulsham, Norfolk, were involved in four bombing missions with the bulk of their work dedicated to surveillance

Mr James has described the crew as the “forerunners of electronic warfare” or “detectives” looking for radar and wireless wavelengths and radio signals.

Ivor Beaven, 89, of Cardiff, who was among those who ran the gauntlet of German U-Boats on the Arctic Convoys to deliver supplies to Russian allies, also suggested their recognition was overdue.

He said: “It’s been a long time coming.”

Mr Beaven maintains the Arctic Star is being offered to convoy veterans to deflect attention away from the Government’s refusal to allow them to accept an honour from the Russian Government.

Unlike their counterparts in the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia British convoy veterans have not been allowed to accept the Russian Ushakov Medal.

Mr Beaven, who served as a stoker on the HMS Zambesi, said: “All he (Mr Cameron) is doing this for is to stop us from getting the Russian medal.

“The Russians want to give us a medal for bravery and courage and he says, ‘No, you’re not having it’.”

Mr Beaven was involved in the rescue of 525 Norwegians from the Island of Soroy as they hid from the Nazis.

But survivors’ efforts to secure formal recognition had been repeatedly rebuffed over many years on the grounds of protocol.

Mr Francois said: “All those who served our country in Bomber Command and on the Arctic Convoys deserve nothing but the utmost respect and admiration from us.”

The Foreign Office said the new Arctic Star would make it more difficult for the convoy veterans to accept the Russian honour as servicemen already decorated by Britain can’t accept further awards from foreign powers for the same operation.

Up to 250,000 veterans and the families of those who have died could be eligible to receive the new awards from as early as next month.

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